Cause and Effect
by ChestyMcBoobs
Summary: The CSIs try to prove a confessed murderer's innocence. (Sequel to Bad Moon Rising.) COMPLETE! Review it or I'll sic my imaginary ferret on ya'll.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Cause and Effect (1/?)  
  
   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
Rating: R for now, but ya'll know me, this story will veer off into NC-17 once or twice. But hell, if you don't like smut, what the hell are ya doing reading one of my stories?  
  
   
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele  
  
   
  
Summary: The CSIs try to prove a confessed murderer's innocence, while Eric and Maria face another change in their relationship.  
  
   
  
Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?  
  
Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!  
  
   
  
Note: This is a continuation of my series. All the stories are archived at fanfiction.net under the pen name ChestyMcBoobs, and the order is: "Blood Ties," "Isolation," "Ripped," "Damaged Goods," "Catalyst," "Raining on Sunday," "Stolen," "Bad Moon Rising," and "Cause and Effect."  
  
   
  
   
  
So, I'm not thrilled with this part, but it's the first chapter, so I guess it's kinda transitional or whatever. Still, if you guys disagree with me, feel free to let me know...  
  
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"Got a time of death?" Taylor Walsh asked Nick Jones, the graveyard shift M.E., as they both leaned over the body in the motel bathtub.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Liver temp tells me he checked out around midnight." Nick replied. "As for cause, the second bullet in the chest did him in. The one in his head was overkill."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maybe she just wanted to be sure." Taylor said, almost to herself, as she recalled what Horatio had told her about Adam Grant, and the torture he had inflicted on Maria.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I don't know, boss." Nick continued. "You see any signs of a struggle in here?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Taylor grimaced as she looked around the small, dirty bathroom, and out into the rest of the motel room. "Hard to say, just look at the mess. They must have lived here for a while, never let housekeeping at it. Does this motel even have housekeeping?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"If by housekeeping, you mean a bunch of malcontent high school drop outs who come in, go through the guests' belongings, and then knock back a few cold ones in the back office, sure they do."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria." Taylor stood up, shocked. She saw her day shift counterpart behind the young woman. "Horatio, what is she doing here?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Had to see it to believe it." Horatio explained. "And she wasn't taking no for an answer."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh, please." Maria snapped. "Somewhere in the Guiness Book of Records, the world's biggest pot just looked at the world's biggest kettle and said 'wow, you're looking black today.'" The two lieutenants looked at her blankly, and she sighed. "You're the last person who should be calling me stubborn. Sheesh."  
  
   
  
   
  
Out in the hotel room, Calleigh, Tim, and Eric surveyed the absolute disaster area.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Looks like my room when I was in high school." Eric said. "And my room in college, and...you get the idea."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, it's him, all right." Maria announced cheerfully as she joined them. "The bullet through his forehead kinda messed up his face, but the fact that his dick's invisible without a magnifying glass is a dead giveaway." She looked around the room and shrugged. "Some things never change."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh my God." Calleigh said. She looked at another CSI who was processing the scene. "Skye, has this been tagged yet?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah." The woman replied. "Glove up, though, just in case."  
  
   
  
   
  
Calleigh nodded and did so, then picked up the photograph on the bedside table. "Look at this. He kept this wedding picture of him and Maria, for all this time..."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria glanced at the picture and shook her head. "That's not me. I was still in a wheelchair when we got married. And I didn't wear a white dress, I wore a Class A uniform." She paled slightly, but quickly steadied herself. "She really does look like me, though."  
  
   
  
   
  
"More like exactly like you." Eric said. "You shouldn't be here."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'll leave as soon as I get to see karma personified." Maria said. "Where is she?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"They just took her in." Hagen said from behind her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"What?" Maria turned around. "She's in custody? This was self defense, it had to be! God, she should probably be in the hospital, who knows what he did to her?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Calm down." Hagen told her. "She went willingly. She's going to be asked some routine questions, graveyard's gonna process the room, and if the evidence says that it's self defense, she'll be fine. Come on, you think I liked having to arrest her? She killed the son of a bitch who...if it were up to me, Maria, you know that-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, I know." Maria interrupted, sighing. "I'm sorry. Oh, God, I'm so sorry about everything."  
  
   
  
   
  
"If I have to tell you one more time that it wasn't your fault, I'm going to snap." Hagen told her. "You shouldn't be here, you need to get some rest."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm not the only one." Maria reminded him as Eric took her by the arm and started guiding her towards the door. "Wait...John, what's her name? And how old is she?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Her name is Aimee Westin." Hagen replied. "She's twenty."  
  
   
  
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Calleigh hugged Maria once more. "Get some sleep. It's over."  
  
   
  
   
  
"For me." Maria sighed. "You get some sleep, too..." She glanced past her roommate, at Tim. "Oh, who am I kidding?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, yeah. Smartass." Calleigh said, unable to suppress a grin. "Goodnight."  
  
   
  
"Night." Maria replied. "Later, Tim." She waved to her friend, who returned the gesture.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Ready?" Eric asked, sliding his arms around her waist from behind.  
  
   
  
   
  
One of his hands came to rest on her stomach, and Maria tensed. She told herself to calm down. There was no way he could tell, she was only four weeks along. "Uh, yeah."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you okay?" He knew her all too well.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I don't know." Maria admitted. "It's so late...well, early, actually." The sky was already starting to turn light.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Let's get you home." Eric said, kissing her forehead softly. "Everything will be easier to deal with when you've gotten some sleep."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria laughed. "Right. Except by 'home,' you mean your apartment, so the odds of me getting any sleep are slim to none."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Relax, my intentions are completely pure." Eric assured her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"You're too tired to fuck me." Maria translated.  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric shrugged and nodded. "Yeah. You should probably drive."  
  
   
  
_______________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"She signed a confession?" Yelina asked. "With an attorney present?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"You two shouldn't be worrying about the case." Horatio said.  
  
   
  
   
  
"No disrespect, Horatio, but how are we supposed to not worry about it?" Hagen asked. He sat down next to the bed and put one arm around Yelina protectively.  
  
   
  
   
  
"You've got more important things to worry about." Horatio pointed out. "The doctor tells me that you could go home by Friday."  
  
   
  
   
  
"With any luck." Yelina said. "And I figure we're due for some luck."  
  
   
  
   
  
"How are you feeling?" Horatio asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm going to be all right." Yelina insisted. "We're going to be all right. It just...it wasn't meant to happen. Not this time."  
  
   
  
   
  
Hagen squeezed her hand gently, then looked back at Horatio. "What did Aimee say?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"That she was having an affair, Grant confronted her about it and told her to get out, and she then got his gun and shot him while he was taking a shower." Horatio recited.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Sounds bogus to me." Yelina said. "Have you talked to Maria yet?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm going to hold off on getting her involved." Horatio replied. "When she left the hotel with Eric, she seemed to be in a state of shock. I'm afraid that this whole experience may have brought a few more repressed memories of what Grant did to her back to the surface."  
  
   
  
   
  
"When she does find out, she's going to be pissed at you for not telling her sooner." Hagen said. "Ever been hit over the head with a five-hundred dollar Manolo Blahnik pump?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'll take my chances with Maria, and her overpriced footwear." Horatio said with a shrug. "You two should get some rest." As he left the hospital room and looked back, he saw Yelina sink back against Hagen as he put both arms around her and kissed her forehead.  
  
   
  
________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well!" Maria gasped out. "So much for 'too tired.'"  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric caught his breath enough to laugh. "I guess I had a little more energy than I thought."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria kissed his chest and clenched her muscles, trying to hold him where he was, deep inside of her. "Sometimes it just blows me away." She sighed. "How much I love you, I mean."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I know." Eric mumbled against her hair. "I feel the same way."  
  
   
  
   
  
"After everything that he did to me." Maria said, looking at their entwined hands, "I didn't think I'd ever even speak to another man."  
  
   
  
   
  
"He's gone." Eric reminded her, kissing her forehead.   
  
   
  
   
  
"No more nightmares." Maria added. "We're safe, and...we can actually start thinking about the future, because we actually have one." Just as she thought it might be the right time to tell him, the phone rang, leading her to wonder if she had done something terrible that had somehow involved a phone in her previous life. That belief only grew stronger as Eric carefully turned her onto her back and pulled out of her as he reached over to answer the phone. She sank back against the bed, pouting.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you sure?" Eric was saying. "Well, did he tell you what she said? Okay. No, yeah, you're right. Thanks for letting us know." He hung up the phone and turned back to Maria, pulling her close. "That was Hagen. He said...he said that Aimee Westin confessed to killing Grant, and she said it wasn't in self-defense."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh my God." Maria bolted out of the bed and started gathering up her clothes, which had ended up all over the room. Looking for her bra, she happened to glance up, and had to smile a little when she saw it dangling from the ceiling fan.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Oops." Eric managed to say as he cracked up.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria glared at him. "Yeah, it's hilarious. Can I get a little help here?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah." Eric stood and reached up to retrieve the undergarment. "You've got the day off."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Don't care." Maria replied. "You can't tell me that you believe that she killed him in cold blood. He was doing the same shit to her that he did to me. Maybe worse, I don't know. She deserves to be rewarded for what she's done, not punished."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria." Eric embraced her, pulling her head against his shoulder.   
  
   
  
   
  
"So it was John who called you? The man who is comforting his fiancée after the loss of their unborn child, had to be the one to tell us what's going on with the case? Why the fuck didn't Horatio call?" Maria demanded.  
  
   
  
   
  
"He wasn't going to tell you yet." Eric explained. "From what Hagen told me, I think H wanted to let you get some rest before letting you in on it, because he knew how you would react-"  
  
   
  
"Horatio does not fucking know me!" Maria interrupted, closing her eyes and pressing her hand against her forehead. "People like Adam do not change. He was a predator, a sadist...a monster. I don't care what Aimee's saying, she had a good reason for killing him."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maybe Horatio was right to try and keep you out of the loop." Eric stated. "He was just trying to protect you, baby. You have to know that."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Someone's gotta protect Aimee Westin." Maria replied.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, but that someone's also gotta take care of herself." Eric insisted, grabbing her around her waist and pulling her back to the bed. "Try and get some sleep, it's still early."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm going over there now, Eric." Maria snapped, shaking him off of her. "You don't have to come with me. You should stay here, eat something, take a shower. And when was the last time you shaved? I've got stubble burn in some pretty interesting places." She touched his face affectionately. "Really, I can take care of myself. I'll be back soon."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric kissed the tip of her nose lightly. "Nice try, gorgeous, but you're not gonna fool me that easily. I know when I'm being tested. I'm going with you."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria sighed and leaned against him, burying her face against his chest. "Thank you."  
  
   
  
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"Eric and Maria just got here." Calleigh said. "Joseph, please tell me we've got good news for them."  
  
The lab tech looked up and shook his head. "Based on the prints I got off the gun? The only person to handle it in the last twenty-four hours was Aimee Westin."  
  
   
  
   
  
"So, there wasn't a struggle over it." Calleigh concluded, biting her lower lip and thinking for a moment. "Doesn't mean that she wasn't defending herself."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Wasn't he taking a shower when she capped him?" Joseph asked.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah." Calleigh sighed. "I know, it doesn't look good for her."  
  
   
  
Joseph nodded. "If she killed him in self-defense, why would she confess to murder?"  
  
"If he was torturing Aimee even half as much as he tortured Maria," Calleigh said, "Anything a jury could sentence her to would probably seem like a blessing."  
  
   
  
________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey." Maria said, catching up to Calleigh as she left the print lab. "So?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Nothing new just yet." Calleigh felt bad about lying to her friend, but didn't see how she had much of a choice. "And you've probably heard this about a hundred times in the past five minutes, but you should be resting."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you channeling Eric now?" Maria sighed. "I just want to see her, Cal."  
  
   
  
   
  
"In the interest of saving time, is there anything I can say to change your mind?" Calleigh asked. "Didn't think so. Well, I'll be around if you need anything."  
  
   
  
   
  
"See you later." Maria replied. She hadn't gone five feet when another figure blocked her path. "Jesus! Don't fucking do that!"  
  
   
  
   
  
"My name's not Jesus." Tim said, deadpan. "Did you talk to Eric?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria blinked. "About what?" Tim gave her a look, and she rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't. Fuck, in case you haven't noticed, we've got other things to worry about right now."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, things you're not supposed to be worrying about." Tim reminded her. "You're not working this case, and neither is Eric...and why the hell do I even bother trying? Look, I'm not going to tell anyone. But I'm really not comfortable with this. I don't like keeping something this important from Eric. Or Calleigh."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Great." Maria said. "I'm the one who's knocked up and you're the one who's 'uncomfortable.' You think I'm enjoying this?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm sorry, that came out wrong." Tim insisted, looking around to be sure no one was paying too much attention to them.   
  
   
  
   
  
"I don't even know why I told you." Maria continued. "I just...I panicked. I will tell Eric when I'm ready to...when I know how I feel about it." She blinked back tears and placed one hand on her stomach. "I don't want this. I thought I did, but now..."  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim didn't know what to say. "Maria, really, I didn't mean-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Forget it." Maria interrupted. "I'm gonna head down to the morgue, if anyone's looking for me."   
  
   
  
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TBC... 


	2. Chapter Two

Title: Cause and Effect (2/?)  
  
   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
   
  
Rating: NC-17. Didn't I tell ya that was gonna happen now and then?  
  
   
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele  
  
   
  
Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?  
  
   
  
Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!  
  
   
  
   
  
Extra dedication: To Yana, again, cause it's her birthday! Yay! Happy twentieth, sweetie!  
  
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No one ever questioned why Alexx talked to the cadavers as though they were still alive. That didn't really surprise her, they were intelligent people. They understood that she wanted to remember that the bodies she worked on were still people, not just slabs of meat. She wanted to treat them with dignity and respect.  
  
   
  
   
  
Most of the time, anyway.  
  
   
  
   
  
Adam Charles Grant, however, was another matter. When she had taken over for Jones an hour earlier, Alexx hadn't even hesitated to begin cutting his cold body apart. It wasn't that she was enjoying slicing him up, but she also wasn't feeling any need to remember his humanity. Hell, she wasn't sure he had any. She couldn't help but think of Maria. It was simply unfathomable how anyone could treat such a sweet young woman so hideously.   
  
   
  
   
  
"What did he have in him?" Maria's voice almost startled the M.E, but she recovered quickly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Pills, probably Ecstasy." Alexx replied. She looked up at Maria, who was practically cowering by the door. "Honey, you shouldn't be in here."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, I'm okay, really." Maria insisted. "I mean, I don't wanna sound like a bitch, but seeing him like that kinda helps."  
  
"That's not what I meant." Alexx told her. "It's not safe for a pregnant woman to be in here."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria's eyes widened. "What?" She stammered. "Oh God, did Valera run her mouth? Or Tim? I'll kill them both-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"You've been throwing up in the bathroom at least once every day for the past week." Alexx said. "I haven't seen you with a cup of coffee in a few days. I've been pregnant twice, I can spot it a mile away."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Lucky for me, you're the only one." Maria sighed. "So far, anyway."  
  
   
  
   
  
Alexx peeled off her gloves and went over to the door, laying one hand on Maria's arm. "How long have you known?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well, I got it confirmed yesterday." Maria said. "But I think I've known for at least a week, and just been in denial."  
  
   
  
   
  
"How are you doing so far?" Alexx asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Physically?" Maria winced. "Horrible. I'm throwing up constantly, my back is fucking killing me, but I can't take anything for it, and I keep getting these really bad headaches. I've just been telling Eric that I'm stressed, but I can't keep that up much longer before he gets really worried. And...mentally, I just...I don't know. After I found out I couldn't get pregnant, I started thinking I really did want to. And now that I am, I don't want it." She started shaking furiously as the tears she had been holding back got the better of her. "I don't want it, Alexx."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Come here." Alexx embraced the younger woman.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm so scared." Maria sobbed. "I can't do this. Maybe...God, maybe I should just get rid of it, and not tell Eric. He would never understand, but he'd never have to know."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria, you know you can't do that." Alexx told her. "He'd never know, but you would."  
  
   
  
"I know." Maria sniffed, wiping her eyes. "I know, I have to tell him. I guess I need to just get it over with."  
  
   
  
   
  
Alexx nodded, rubbing her back gently. "That's probably a good idea. And if you need anything, I'm here."  
  
"Thank you, Alexx." Maria said softly. "Because honestly, I've never been so scared in my life. I can picture Eric as a father, easily. But I can't picture myself as a mother. Not as a good one, anyway."  
  
   
  
________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey." Tim wasn't even a little surprised to see Eric in the locker room. He noticed that his friend was staring at a picture of Maria that was taped to the inside of his locker door. "That's a nice shot of her."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, that's what she said." Eric replied. "Thing is, though, she said it like it was a surprise. Like she's ever anything other than gorgeous."  
  
   
  
   
  
"She's got a lot of demons." Tim pointed out.  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric nodded. "Tyler said he saw you two talking earlier. Said she looked upset."  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim shrugged. "We were talking about the case."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay." Eric said, but he had a skeptical look on his face. "I don't know, maybe I'm just strung out from everything that's been going on, but I can't shake this feeling that she's hiding something. And that worries me, because we don't keep secrets from each other any more."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, well, I guess you should talk to her about that." Tim said, trying to appear casual, even though he suddenly wanted to end their conversation. "Meanwhile, shouldn't you guys be getting some rest? And you need to shave, man. You're starting to look like me."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You should be so lucky." Eric laughed. "Yeah, I know, but she wanted to know what was going on with the case. Speaking of which, what do you know about it?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Not much." Tim lied.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Speed." Eric gave him a look. "You can't lie worth a damn, you know that."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Fine." Tim said. "It doesn't look good for Aimee. Graveyard went over that room, top to bottom. From what I've been told, there is no evidence of any kind of struggle, nothing that points to self-defense."  
  
"And you believe that?" Eric asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim shook his head, frustrated. "I don't know. It doesn't make sense. But she's saying he never laid a hand on her. Unless she changes her story, or something turns up that contradicts her-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"No bruises, no signs of assault?" Eric interrupted.  
  
   
  
   
  
"She's got bruises." Tim said. "And a logical sounding explanation for each one."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I gotta find Maria." Eric said, closing his locker. "She's going to hear about this soon."  
  
   
  
___________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Absolutely not." Horatio didn't exactly know why he was bothering. He had figured out some time ago that Maria was going to do what she felt was right, and that was the end of it. Of course, that level of tenacity was one of the things that made her so good at her job. He stopped outside the interview room and turned to face the young woman, who had been following him since he had left his office. "I can't assign you to this case, Maria. It's a conflict of interests."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm not asking you to assign me to the case." Maria persisted. "I'm telling you that I need to talk to Aimee, one victim to another. Maybe if I talk to her about the things he did to me, she'll open up about what he was doing to her. Why not just make it a little easier on all of us and let me in there now? Come on, you know I'm going to find a way to talk to her whether you want me to or not."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you telling me that you have no intention of following a direct order?" Horatio asked. As if he didn't know.  
  
   
  
Maria leveled her gaze at him, crossing her arms under her chest. "I'm telling you that if you so much think of pulling rank on me about this, I will staple an American flag to your butt and mail you to Somalia."  
  
   
  
   
  
Horatio suppressed a smirk. He had to give her points for creativity. "That's a yes. All right, but you're not going to talk to her alone. I'm going in there with you."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Fine, whatever." Maria sighed. She followed her boss into the room. Once inside, she hesitated for a moment, then approached the table.  
  
   
  
   
  
The girl seated on the opposite side of the table from her had been cleaned up, but she was still a mess. Her shoulder-length, light brown hair hung limply around her face. Even under the bright orange jumpsuit she was wearing, Maria could see the bones in her shoulders sticking out. She shuddered as she realized she was basically staring at herself three years ago. Glancing at Horatio, she saw that even he couldn't completely hide how spooked he was by the resemblance.  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's you." Aimee said impassively.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, it's me." Maria replied. "And it's you."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You're prettier than he said you were." Aimee continued. "Prettier than all those pictures and tapes he had. Prettier than me."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm sure you were just as pretty as I am before he did all that shit to you." Maria said gently.   
  
   
  
   
  
"He never laid a hand on me." Aimee scoffed, leaning back in her chair. "I mean, literally. Dumb bastard was a Viagra case. Exceptin' he couldn't afford Viagra, spent all his money on crack. Or heroin. Or...paint thinner. Whatever he could get his hands on."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You never joined in?" Maria asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Nah, I never really found any of that shit too interesting." Aimee shrugged. "He'd do some of it, pass out, or just be lying there laughing at the ceiling. I'd grab one of his friends, there was always a few of them around. Last night, he woke up and caught us, smacked his buddy around, then called me a whore and told me to get out. Then he went and took a shower, and I got the gun, went into the bathroom, and I shot him."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You're lying to me, Aimee." Maria said. "Why are you protecting him?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"He didn't do anything to me!" Aimee repeated, more forcefully. "He loved me. I'm sorry for what he did to you, but he never hurt me."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Anyone who can verify that?" Maria asked. "Maybe his 'buddy' he caught you with?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Didn't catch his name." Aimee replied.   
  
   
  
   
  
Horatio caught himself looking back and forth between the two women as though he was watching a tennis match. Aimee was younger and weaker than Maria, but she still held her own, blocking Maria's every attempt to get through to her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Why didn't you want to go to the hospital?" Maria pressed. "What are you hiding?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I shot him, okay?" Aimee made a gun with her fingers. "Bang. Three times. But I still got my rights, don't I? I don't have to go to the hospital if I don't want to, and I don't have to explain myself to you."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Fine." Maria pushed her chair away from the table and stood up quickly, then leaned on the table with both hands, closing her eyes to ward of a sudden dizzy spell. She forced herself to regain her balance. "I'm trying to help you, Aimee. But if you won't let me, there's nothing I can do." She gritted her teeth as she left the room, with Horatio close behind her. "She's lying, H, you have to believe that."  
  
   
  
"I want to believe it." Horatio admitted. "But Maria, you have to understand that without her saying that he was abusing her, and without any evidence suggesting that she killed him in self defense, my hands are tied."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria grimaced as she leaned against the wall, pressing one hand to her forehead.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you all right?" Horatio asked, not attempting to mask his concern. As far as he knew, she was going on only a few hours of sleep in the past few days, to say nothing of the trauma she had endured at the same time.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm fine." Maria said a little shortly, but didn't look at him as she replied. Instead, she looked down the corridor, brightening considerably when she saw Eric approaching. "Hey."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey." Eric's tired, forced smile matched Maria's as he put his arms loosely around her waist and kissed her forehead. "Did you talk to her?"  
  
"I did." Maria confirmed. "And she lied like a rug the whole time. Get this, she was looking left. Not at me, and not to the right. People look to the left when they're lying."  
  
   
  
   
  
"That's usually true, but it's not enough to conclusively prove that someone is lying." Horatio pointed out.  
  
   
  
   
  
"She's lying." Maria snapped. "If I gotta repeat that one more time, so help me...I know that he was abusing her."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I know you think that." Horatio said. "But you have no proof."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria glared at him. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." She quoted before turning on her heel and walking away.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Wow. Shakespearean smack talk." Eric joked. "She went totally sixteenth century on your ass." Horatio gave him a look, and he shrugged. "Don't look at me, you're the one who gave her the Complete Works of Shakespeare for her birthday." He went after Maria, catching up to her just around the corner. "Where are you going?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Back to your apartment." Maria replied. "Are you staying here?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I was going to help Calleigh and Tyler out with some videos that were found in the hotel room, but they can manage without me."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, stay here." Maria told him. "Trust me, I'll be fine. In fact, I think I could use some time to myself, just to clear my head a little."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You sure?" Eric asked, touching her face as he leaned in to kiss her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah." Maria sighed against his lips. "I'll go home, get some rest, and make dinner. And when you get home, we can talk about...well, a lot of things."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric nodded. "Absolutely. Okay, you just take it easy, try not to set my apartment on fire."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Jerk!" Maria giggled, swatting him across the chest. "I'll see you soon?" She asked, kissing him once more.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Not soon enough." Eric groaned as she pulled away.  
  
   
  
__________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria left?" Calleigh asked as Eric joined her in the AV lab.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, she's gonna go back to my place and get some rest." Eric replied. "And then she's going to cook dinner, and when I get home, she says we need to talk." He looked at Calleigh, then Tim, trying to guess if either of them knew what it was Maria wanted to talk about. "Think I should be worried?"  
  
"About the talk, or about Maria's cooking?" Tim shot back.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh, let that go already." Calleigh told him. "What's the big deal, your eyebrows grew back, didn't they?" She gave him a playful shove.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, so what about these videos?" Eric asked, rolling his eyes and smiling at his friends' behavior. They were acting more like a married couple all the time.  
  
   
  
   
  
"There's a couple dozen of them, all found in the hotel room." Tyler explained.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I shudder to think what might be on them." Calleigh added. "But we do need to know."  
  
   
  
   
  
The room fell silent as the image on the screen became clear. It was a video of Grant, on top of a frightened looking young woman. Everyone in the room recoiled slightly as they realized that he was raping her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Holy shit." Tim groaned as he looked away from the screen. "Well, there's the proof that he was abusing Aimee."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No." Eric said quietly, staring in horror at the screen. He closed his eyes, trying to block out the images. "Turn it off, now!" He demanded. "Look at the tattoo on her hip. That's not Aimee."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh God." Calleigh gasped out as she realized that Eric was right. "Oh my God."  
  
   
  
_____________________  
  
   
  
   
  
As nervous as she was, Maria couldn't help but giggle as she removed her top, then her jeans, and finally her underwear.  
  
   
  
   
  
'Well, at least it's less cliché than greeting him at the door wearing plastic wrap.' She said to herself as she put on an apron and went into the kitchen. The way she saw it, talking to Eric about her pregnancy would be a lot easier if they were both...relaxed.  
  
   
  
   
  
Standing in the kitchen, randomly moving dishes and pans around to appear busy, she felt exposed, and a little silly. She also felt wet, and her breath was coming in short gasps as she watched the clock. He'd be home soon.  
  
   
  
She finally decided to try and actually cook something, figuring she couldn't mess pasta up too badly.   
  
   
  
   
  
Mere minutes later, the smoke detector above the stove seemed to be telling her otherwise.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Everyone's a critic." She groused as she pulled the pot off the burner, placed it in the sink, and ran cold water over it. Then she grabbed a dishtowel and waved it in front of the smoke detector, silencing it. Just in time to hear the unmistakable sound of a key in the front door.   
  
   
  
   
  
Taking a deep breath, she turned so her naked back was to the kitchen door, bracing herself for his reaction. Not that she expected it to be anything other than positive. She just figured she would want to be prepared to be swept off her feet and fucked against the nearest wall.  
  
   
  
   
  
She counted his footsteps from the front door, then looked over her shoulder when she heard him stop. He was standing in the doorway, staring at her with a look of absolute shock.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Jesus fucking Christ." He groaned softly. Not exactly the passionate response she had expected, but she could see that he was aroused, and that was good enough.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey." She smiled as she turned to face him, casually leaning on the counter. "How'd it go?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Fine." Eric replied.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Liar." Maria sighed, stepping closer to him and reaching around to pull at the ties of the apron behind her back and neck. "What's wrong?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"What makes you think something's wrong?" Eric asked. He stared blatantly as the apron began to slide away, but still made no move.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria pouted as she held the fabric in front of her body. "Well, you walked in and found me like this a full ten seconds ago, and you're still talking."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric managed to smile. "Okay, that's fair enough."  
  
   
  
   
  
"So, what's the problem?" Maria asked, re-tying the apron strings. "Is it about Aimee?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Not exactly." Eric winced. "It's...uh, it's those tapes they found in the motel room. It turns out they're tapes of Grant raping a girl who we thought was Aimee, but..."  
  
"It's me?" Maria finished for him. "That actually doesn't surprise me too much. He always did have some kind of video fetish, even in high school. Oh, Eric, I'm so sorry you had to see that."  
  
   
  
   
  
"What he did to you..." Eric said shakily. "I mean, having a nightmare about it is one thing, but actually seeing it...it was so brutal."  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's in the past." Maria reminded him, gently cupping his face in her hands.   
  
   
  
   
  
"It's like it's permanently burned into the backs of my eyelids." Eric admitted. "Seeing you in so much pain, so scared-"  
  
   
  
He was cut off as Maria threw her arms around his neck and kissed him, pushing her lips urgently against his. "You've seen me like that once." She panted as they broke apart. "You've seen me a lot more than once, going out of my mind and screaming with pleasure. Because of you." Never breaking eye contact with him, she pulled frantically at the apron strings again, this time letting it fall to her feet and kicking it aside. Then she kissed him again, unbuttoning his shirt as he finally reacted and wrapped his arms around her waist, lifting her up.  
  
   
  
   
  
"We should move this into the bedroom." He suggested, calling on every ounce of strength he had to hold off for her sake.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria shook her head and gestured blindly to the kitchen table. "Right here. Now. Please." She gasped out, pushing his shirt off of his shoulders. He let it drop to the floor as he set her on the edge of the table, too far gone to deny her anything she wanted. "Keep your eyes open." She said breathlessly as she slid off the table and knelt in front of him. Placing her hands on his hips, she pushed him so he was against the table, then unzipped his jeans, licking her lips as she slipped her hand in and brushed her fingers against his hard, throbbing flesh.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria." Eric groaned, grasping the edge of the table as he felt her warm, moist breath on his skin. "Baby, you don't have to..." The first touch of her tongue to his shaft knocked the air out of his lungs, and he unconsciously thrust against her as she took him in as far as she could. She moaned as if she was enjoying her actions as much as he was, and he couldn't look away from her eyes as she began sucking harder and moving up and down faster.  
  
   
  
   
  
After only a minute, he grabbed her shoulders and lifted her up, setting her back on the table and moving so he was between her legs. Their lips met in a deep kiss as he thrust two fingers into her, working her until she cried out and bucked frantically against him.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Eric, now..." She gasped, leaning back on her hands and spreading her thighs further apart.   
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you." Eric said. He fought to keep his eyes open and maintain eye contact with her as he pushed into her slick, tight passage. He caught her as her arms gave out, and carefully lay her back on the table.   
  
   
  
   
  
Maria moaned as he leaned over her, bracing himself with his hands on either side of her head. "I love you, too." She managed to reply, writhing against him impatiently. "Eric...please..." Her plea was silenced by his lips covering hers as he began to thrust, fast and deep. Already, the memories of what he had seen on the video were fading away, replaced by the sight of her, panting and moaning his name as he pushed her closer to the edge.   
  
   
  
   
  
Her legs tightened around him and her nails dug deeper into his back with every stroke, until she pulled him down so his chest was pressing against hers. He slid his hands under her back, shifting her hips so that he was hitting her spot directly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh God, Eric!" Maria whispered as she came, sobbing from the sheer intensity of their lovemaking. He cried out, burying himself deep inside her as his own climax took hold and he erupted into her before collapsing.  
  
   
  
   
  
Exhausted, Eric stood up with Maria still wrapped in his arms, and slumped into a chair, kissing the top of her head and brushing her hair off of her damp, flushed face.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Feel better?" She giggled breathlessly after a minute.  
  
   
  
   
  
"So this is how it's going to be? Something upsets me, and you fuck me until I forget all about it?" Eric teased, still running his hands over her back, her arms, her breasts. He felt like he couldn't stop touching her, even for a second.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria shrugged. "Basically."   
  
   
  
   
  
"You are the best girlfriend ever." Eric chuckled. "I mean it, you are amazing."  
  
   
  
   
  
"And amazingly tired." Maria sighed, laying her head on his chest.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Then why don't you get in bed?" Eric suggested, even though the last thing he wanted was to let go of her. "I'll take care of dinner."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh, shit." Maria gasped. "It's still Christmas Eve, isn't it? I haven't even called my parents or anything..."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey, they'll understand." Eric assured her. "You've been through so much hell. And, might I add, you have been unbelievably strong."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm tired of being strong." Maria admitted.  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric felt a sharp pang in his heart. "I know, baby, I know you are. And I promise, next year is going to be completely different. I'm going to take you away somewhere peaceful, where it can just be the two of us."  
  
   
  
   
  
Realizing that an opportunity had finally presented itself, Maria took a deep breath and told herself to just blurt it out and get it over with. "What if there were three of us?" She asked. He gave her a confused look, and she trembled a little as she took his hand and guided it to her abdomen. "Eric, I...I'm pregnant."  
  
______________________  
  
   
  
TBC... 


	3. Chapter Three

Title: Cause and Effect (3/?)  
  
   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
   
  
Rating: R. Hey, get back here! Ya'll know me, the smut will be back soon. Sooner if I get lotsa reviews. *wink*  
  
   
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele  
  
   
  
Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?  
  
   
  
Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!  
  
   
  
   
  
Soundtrack: "The One" by Gary Allan.   
  
   
  
   
  
Note: Okay, Yana, here it is, I live to serve you, all right? Now get to work.  
  
   
  
 ___________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well, I'm a redneck woman, I ain't no high class broad!" Calleigh sang along with the radio, sliding across the kitchen floor in her bare feet. She caught Tim watching her from the doorway, trying not to laugh. "Join in, you know the words!"  
  
   
  
"Yes, unfortunately, I do." Tim said. "Have I mentioned I hate it when you and Maria pick the radio station?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Many, many times." Calleigh replied, sliding her arms around his neck. "And we've ignored you, every time." She paused and sniffed the air. "Shit, the cookies!" Racing over to the stove, she grabbed a hand towel and waved the smoke aside to pull out a tray of what had once been sugar cookies. "Well, so much for that batch." She giggled as she felt Tim's lips on the side of her neck.  
  
   
  
   
  
"You had a bit of dough there." He explained, wrapping his arms around her waist.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh yeah?" Calleigh grinned as she reached over and took a pinch of dough out of the mixing bowl on the counter and smeared it on his cheek. "Well, now you've got a little something right there..." She leaned in and licked it off, and suddenly found herself pinned up against the counter. "Hey, down boy." She laughed, pushing him away halfheartedly. "Let me just clean up a little, all right?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Fine." Tim reluctantly let go of her.   
  
   
  
   
  
"And don't give me that pouty look." Calleigh teased. "If you're impatient, help me clean up." She busied herself at the sink, running cold water over the cookie sheet, then scraping the charred, sodden mess into the trash can. "So, what do you think is going to happen to Aimee?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I have no idea." Tim admitted. "I mean, like I've said, unless something turns up, or Maria finds some way to get through to her...it's sick, this girl is twenty years old."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria will figure something out if no one else can." Calleigh insisted. "I mean...she's Maria, for fuck's sake. Speaking of her, does she seem a little...off to you lately? I know, she'd have to be after everything that's happened, but it's more than that. She's so sick, she's always exhausted but she never drinks coffee...and get this. You know that drinking game we came up with? Where we take the new issue of Ocean Drive, go through it and do a shot every time her name or picture is in there-"  
  
   
  
"And are wasted before you hit page fifty." Tim added.  
  
   
  
   
  
Calleigh smiled. "Usually. Anyway, the new issue came the other day, and she said she wasn't really in a 'drinking game' kind of mood. Honestly, if I didn't know any better, I'd say she was..." She trailed off as she remembered the pregnancy test Maria had taken. Those things weren't always completely accurate. Gasping, Calleigh turned around to face Tim. When she saw that he was looking at the floor and avoiding her stare, her eyes widened. "Oh my God, she is, isn't she? And you knew! And didn't tell me! Tim, how could you not tell me?"  
  
"She made me promise to keep quiet." Tim said in his own defense. "And as crazy as this may sound, being castrated by an angry pregnant woman isn't high on my to-do list."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh my God." Calleigh repeated. "She's...this is unbelievable. And why would she tell you and not me?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Calm down." Tim put his arm around her. "She only told me last night, and I don't think she even meant to, she just blurted it out. And as for not telling you, Calleigh, she hasn't even told Eric yet, as far as I know. To be honest, she was telling me earlier that she's not sure she wants it."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, that doesn't sound like Maria." Calleigh said. "She's probably just in shock, she didn't even think she could get pregnant. I'm sure once she's had time to adjust, she'll be happy, I'm sure. And just think how happy Eric's going to be, that'll help her, right?"  
  
   
  
"Yeah, I'm sure." Tim assured her. "Everything's gonna be fine." He kissed her forehead and pulled her close.   
  
   
  
   
  
"What's that again?" Calleigh asked, enjoying the feel of him wrapped around her. She slid her arms around his neck and leaned up to kiss him.  
  
   
  
______________________  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria sucked in deep, desperate gulps of air as she pulled her car into a parking space and shut off the engine. Forcing herself to stand even though she couldn't feel her legs, she made her way to the private entrance to the apartment building, not bothering with the front door and the intercom. She and the others had keys for times like this.   
  
   
  
   
  
Reaching the apartment, she knocked on the door, then waited. After a moment, she heard a loud thud, followed by a groan and a burst of giggles. The door was opened a few seconds later, and she came face to face with a laughing, disheveled Calleigh.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh my God!" Calleigh gasped when she saw Maria. "You're pregnant!"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Why don't I just put on a shirt that says 'I'm knocked up! Ask me how?'" Maria sighed, slumping against the wall.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, that reminds me, how?" Calleigh asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Damned if I know." Maria snapped. She saw Tim standing in the kitchen doorway and glared at him. "Did you tell her?"  
  
   
  
"She figured it out." He replied, not blaming her for being upset.  
  
   
  
   
  
"What I get for choosing a job where people get paid to be intuitive." Maria said with a shrug. She noticed that both of her friends were breathing heavily. "Did I interrupt something?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Actually..." Tim stopped when he saw the look Calleigh was giving him. "Nope. Come on in."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Are you okay?" Calleigh asked, noticing for the first time that Maria's face was streaked with mascara.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm fine, I just..." Maria sat down on the couch. "I'm fine, can I just crash here for a while?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"If you tell us what happened." Tim said.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I told Eric." Maria blurted out. "Look, you guys just go back to whatever you were doing, pretend I'm not here."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Wait a minute, you told him?" Calleigh gasped. "How did he take it?"  
  
   
  
"Later." Maria said, standing up. "We can talk about it later, all right?" With that, she went into the guest bedroom and closed the door behind her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Whoa." Tim said after a minute. "What do you think that's all about?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Isn't it obvious?" Calleigh snapped. "She told him, and he freaked out about it. Why else would she be here? And she's upset, too. They must have had a fight."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You really think so?" Tim asked. "That doesn't make sense, this is Eric we're talking about. He loves Maria."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Why else would she be so upset?" Calleigh pointed out. Hearing another knock at the front door, she sighed. "Bet I know who that is." She opened the door and glared at Eric. "What did you do to her?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"She's here?" Eric asked. "Let me talk to her, I just need to-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"You need to tell me what you did or said to upset her so much." Calleigh interrupted. "Yes, she's here. She won't talk to us, and she's obviously been crying."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Shit." Eric groaned quietly. "I don't know what I did. She told me, and I...I told her that I love her. I asked her to marry me."  
  
   
  
   
  
Before Calleigh or Tim could respond, they heard Maria's voice from behind them, weak and trembling. "It's true." She said softly, wiping her eyes. "He did, and...I'm sorry, Eric, I can't...I just...I'm sorry." She slumped against the wall and slowly slid to the floor, burying her face in her hands.  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric crossed the room and knelt beside her as Calleigh and Tim watched, too stunned to say a word.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria, it's okay." Eric whispered, pulling her into his arms. He felt her collapse against him as he stood up, lifting her carefully, as if she would break if he wasn't gentle with her. "Come on, we can talk at home." He felt her nod against his chest.  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim thought that he and Calleigh said goodbye as their friends left, but he wasn't sure. After the door closed, the apartment was completely silent for a minute.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Do you think they're going to be okay?" Calleigh asked quietly, looking at the ground and crossing her arms tightly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I hope so." Tim replied, pulling her into his arms and kissing the top of her head. " But I don't know." After a minute, he became aware of a pungent smell coming from the kitchen. "Uh, Cal? The cookies?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh, shit, not again." Calleigh groaned.  
  
   
  
______________________  
  
   
  
No rush, though I need your touch  
  
I won't rush your heart  
  
Until your feet are on solid ground  
  
Until your strength is found, girl  
  
   
  
   
  
I'll fill those canyons in your soul  
  
Like a river lead you home  
  
And I'll walk a step behind  
  
In the shadows so you'll shine  
  
Just ask, it will be done  
  
And I will prove my love  
  
Until you're sure that I'm the one  
  
   
  
______________________  
  
   
  
"I need a bath." Maria mumbled weakly as they entered the apartment, the first words she'd said since leaving Calleigh and Tim's apartment.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay." Eric said, letting go of her arm. She closed the door behind her, but he was almost relieved when she didn't lock it. He sat down on the couch and turned on the TV, but there was no point. He couldn't focus on anything. Almost anything.  
  
   
  
   
  
"A baby." He said out loud, smiling to himself. Then he remembered how upset Maria seemed, and how she had reacted when he'd been so happy about the news.   
  
   
  
   
  
He waited for around half an hour, then went and knocked on the bathroom door. "Sweetie, are you all right?" When the only reply was a muffled sob, he opened the door a little. "Maria, I'm coming in."  
  
   
  
   
  
She was curled up in the back of the tub, with her knees drawn up to her chest. She looked up at him and opened her mouth to say something, then stopped and stared straight ahead.  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's okay." He said, sitting down on the edge of the tub and gently running his hand through her damp hair. "You don't have to say anything, just listen for a minute, okay?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria nodded, leaning into his touch. That was a good sign.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you." Eric began. "I can't say that enough. And whatever you decide to do about the baby...I'll understand. And when I asked you to marry me before...I meant it. I mean, I wasn't just asking you because of...I want to marry you because I love you, Maria."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I know." Maria said, finally looking at him. "I want to marry you, but...I'm not ready, Eric. I'm sorry."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric suddenly pulled her out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her, hugging her close. "Don't apologize, don't you dare. You have nothing to apologize for. I understand, and I can wait as long as you need me to."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I didn't mean to freak out like that before." Maria continued. "I just...I don't know how to feel about this, and I thought that maybe if I told you, and you were happy about it, maybe I'd be happy about it, too."  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's okay." Eric assured her, kissing the top of her head. "Do you know what you want to do about it?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I..." Maria took a deep, shaky breath. "I think I want to have this baby. But I'm not sure...I'm scared."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric felt his heart clench. "It's going to be okay, Maria." He murmured, lifting her up and carrying her out of the bathroom.   
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you." Maria whispered. She clung to him as he reached the bedroom and lay her down in the middle of the bed.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you, too." Eric said, kissing away a single tear that rolled down her cheek. "Everything's going to be okay." He repeated, gently stroking her hair as she drifted off to sleep in his arms.  
  
   
  
________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
Somebody else was here before  
  
He treated you unkind  
  
And broken wings need time to heal  
  
Before a heart can fly, girl  
  
   
  
   
  
I'll fill those canyons in your soul  
  
Like a river lead you home  
  
And I'll walk a step behind  
  
In the shadows so you'll shine  
  
Just ask, it will be done  
  
And I will prove my love  
  
Until you're sure that I'm the one  
  
   
  
________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Merry Christmas."   
  
   
  
   
  
Maria whimpered softly and buried her face deeper into the pillow. "What time is it?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Almost noon." Eric replied, pulling the covers off of her and gently turning her over to face him.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria sighed and rubbed her eyes. She glanced down and realized she was wearing one of Eric's t-shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. Unable to remember putting them on the night before, she figured he must have dressed her at some point.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Didn't want you to get cold." Eric said, as if he was reading her mind. He pushed the shirt up a little and laid his hand across her stomach.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Thanks." Maria said. She placed her hand over his and managed to smile. "Merry Christmas."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric smiled as he leaned down to kiss her. "Come on." He picked her up and carried her out of the room.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I can walk." Maria protested. "Are you going to be like this for the next eight months?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Probably." Eric confirmed. "So, are you saying that you've made up your mind?"  
  
   
  
   
  
As he reached the living room and set her down on the couch, Maria took a deep breath, then grinned. "We're going to have a baby."  
  
   
  
   
  
Laughing, Eric grabbed her around her waist and kissed her, pulling her into his lap. He looked into her eyes for a moment, then kissed her again, too overcome to speak. Finally, he found his voice. "You really want to keep it?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria giggled. She couldn't help it, he just looked so excited and nervous all at once. "Yes! I mean, if you-" Her sentence was cut off by Eric's lips pressing against hers again. This time, the kiss was deep, passionate, and the mood in the room suddenly changed. She moaned against his mouth as she lay back on the couch, pulling him on top of her. Her hands slid under his shirt, feeling the warmth of his skin, and his muscles rippling under her touch. In a few swift movements, she stripped the shirt off of him, then repeated the action with her t-shirt.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you." Eric whispered in her ear.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I love you, too." Maria gasped out. She whimpered softly as their naked torsos pressed together, and his hands slipped down to remove the thin cotton shorts he had put on her. There wasn't much left to say after that  
  
   
  
______________________  
  
   
  
   
  
Almost two hours later, Eric woke up and found that he was alone on the couch. Hearing Maria's voice coming from the kitchen, he got up, retrieved his sweatpants from the chair that they had landed on, and pulled them on as he followed the sound.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yes, Estefan, I know what day it is." She was saying. She saw Eric in the doorway and motioned for him to wait for a minute. "Yeah, Merry Christmas to you, too. Now, you know what would be a great present for me? If you could stop asking questions, and look up the name I gave you. I promise, if I'm right about this, I'll explain everything later. Okay, thank you. Give everyone a hug for me. Love you, too, bro. Bye." She hung up the phone and sighed.   
  
   
  
   
  
"What was that all about?" Eric asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"A hunch." Maria replied. "I'll let you know what it is if it turns out to be right."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric slid his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her against him. "I have ways of making you talk."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria turned around and smirked at him. "And I have ways of making you shut up." She pulled away and went over to the refrigerator. "Do you have any ice cream? I'm getting a serious craving."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Bottom shelf." Eric said. "Any other cravings?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well, one." Maria turned around and winked at him. "But you satisfied it quite nicely."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric laughed. "How far along is it?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Only a month." Maria sighed, absently rubbing her stomach as she sat down at the table. "I just hope I get lucky and the morning sickness goes away after the first trimester. I've already puked twice since I got up."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm sorry." Eric said sheepishly, feeling like he was responsible.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Don't be." Maria giggled, leaning over to kiss him. "Call me crazy, but I kinda think I might have had something to do with this, too."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Speaking of which, when do you think 'this' happened?" Eric asked, fully aware that it would be impossible to pin down exactly when their child had been conceived.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well, as weird as it sounds, I think I know." Maria confided. "I just have this feeling that it was the night I told you I couldn't get pregnant."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You always have had a pretty ironic sense of humor." Eric agreed.  
  
   
  
   
  
"And you were all over me." Maria pointed out. "All in the name of comforting me, of course."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm always all over you." Eric said. "You know, I was normal before I met you. I had a totally healthy, average sex drive."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I guess that's just what love does to us." Maria cooed softly, getting up from her chair and sitting back down in his lap. Before he could kiss her, the phone rang, and she jumped up again. "That'll be Estefan. Hello? Hey, that was quick."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Say hi for me." Eric told her. "Oh, and Merry Christmas."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey, Eric says hi and Merry Christmas." Maria related to her half-brother. She listened for a minute, then laughed. "Yeah, yeah, shut up. Got good news for me? Uh-huh. That's great, little brother, thank you so much. I'll tell you everything later, but I gotta go now, okay? All right, bye." She hung up the phone.  
  
   
  
   
  
"What did he say about me?" Eric asked.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Let's just say it sounds prettier in Spanish." Maria laughed. She saw the look on Eric's face and sighed. "Honey, don't worry, he's just being a typical brother. He doesn't really dislike you. He just dislikes the fact that you're defiling his sister."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric shrugged. "Fair enough. I wasn't exactly fond of my sisters' husbands at first, either. Oh, man, what's he going to say when he finds out that I got you pregnant and we're not getting married yet?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Don't worry about what he'll say." Maria assured him. "Worry about what he'll do. Not to mention my dad, Yolanda, Francesca, I bet even Lara."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, let's change the subject." Eric said nervously. "What was the good news he had for you?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"You'll find out." Maria replied. "I gotta call Calleigh and Tim, I'll tell all three of you together."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria, come on." Eric pleaded. "You're killing me here."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I think I've figured out why Adam was abusing Aimee, and how I can prove it." Maria explained. "And how I can get through to her."  
  
_________________________  
  
   
  
TBC... 


	4. Chapter Four

Title: Cause and Effect (4/?)  
  
   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
   
  
Rating: R. There's a little bit of smutty stuff, but it's at the end of the chapter and isn't really all that graphic, nothing above an R rating. So if you don't like it, just don't read it. Is that so hard?  
  
   
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele  
  
   
  
Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?  
  
   
  
Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!  
  
   
  
   
  
Note: Okay, I'd hoped to have this chapter up sooner. Life gets in the way sometimes, what are ya gonna do? Also, some of my loyal readers may have noticed that a bunch of my fics are gone. Why? Because friggin' fanfic.net went all FCC on me and took them down! Why? I have no idea. Maybe someone narced on me. Whatever, I don't like it. DON'T FRIGGIN' CENSOR ME! Also, if someone did narc on me, that is not cool, okay? If you don't like that stuff, no one is forcing you to read it.  
  
    
  
 ___________________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"So, she sounded all right on the phone." Calleigh said, a little nervous. "She didn't actually say anything about the pregnancy, so maybe that's a good sign."  
  
   
  
   
  
"What did she say?" Tim asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"That it had to do with the case, and she couldn't tell us over the phone." Calleigh replied. She knocked on the door, waited for a moment, then opened the door.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey, door's open!" Tim called out as a greeting. Rounding a corner, they found their friends in a position that suggested the unlocked door was news to them.  
  
   
  
   
  
"You said you checked it." Maria pouted as she slid out of Eric's arms and jumped off the counter.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I say a lot of things when I'm trying to get into your pants." Eric said sheepishly, sitting down at the table quickly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Charming." Calleigh said. "So, I take it from that little display that everything is...okay?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria nodded and smiled. "I'm going to have a baby."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh!" Calleigh gasped, hugging her friend. "Oh, sweetie, that's so great! I'm so happy for you guys."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah, congratulations on the successful commingling of your genetic material." Tim added, clapping Eric on the back. The other three gave him matching looks, and he shrugged. "Way to knock up your girlfriend, man."  
  
   
  
   
  
"That is so sweet, Tim." Maria laughed. "Anyway, we've got eight months to talk about this. I called you guys here to talk about the case."  
  
"Maria, it's Christmas, can't this possibly wait until tomorrow?" Tim asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Aimee's arraignment is tomorrow." Maria reminded him. "We don't have much time."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, Maria, we're listening." Calleigh assured her. "What did you find out?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I called Estefan, had him look up a name." Maria replied. "Aimee Westin was medically discharged from the Army eighteen months ago, after being wounded in action in Afghanistan. She met Adam while she was recuperating in a V.A hospital in Virginia where he volunteered. Any of this sound familiar?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"In a creepy, Twilight Zone sort of way." Eric said. "So, he went looking for a girl who looked like you, was in a similar situation to the one you were in when he got to you..."  
  
   
  
   
  
"She was vulnerable." Maria confirmed. "So was I. And he could be very charming, extremely charismatic."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Didn't folks say that about Charles Manson?" Tim asked. "Anyway, we better take this to the State's Attorney. Of course, in order to tie this to the murder, you'll probably have to testify to everything that Grant did to you when you were married to him."  
  
   
  
   
  
Seeing Maria shrink back a little, Eric shook his head. "No friggin' way. How many times can she relive all the shit he put her through?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, Eric, he's right." Maria said, taking a deep breath. "No one who hears what he did to me is going to believe that he wasn't doing the same thing to Aimee. Especially since it's pretty obvious that he used her as a replacement for me all along. It could be the only way to save her, considering that she's not interested in saving herself."  
  
   
  
   
  
"She's so cold." Tim added. "She's not showing any remorse."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria rolled her eyes. "Well, what's she gonna do? Say, 'Aw, gee, I shot the son of a bitch who was raping and beating me. Shot him twice in the chest and once in the head. I am such an idiot, I am always doing shit like that! I suppose he's dead now, right? God, I could just kick myself!' Come on!"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, take it easy." Eric said. "We're with you on this, remember? You don't have to convince us."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, but I need to convince the State's Attorney." Maria sighed. "And I still gotta convince H."  
  
   
  
   
  
"That shouldn't be too hard." Calleigh pointed out. "He wants to help Aimee just as much as we do."  
  
   
  
"Right, but he's not going to assign me to the case." Maria said, frustrated. "And he probably won't let me talk to her again, at least not alone, and that might be the only way to get her to talk to me. And let's face it, even if she does admit what he did to her, the similarities between us and her word are not going to be enough in court. We need some kind of physical evidence."  
  
   
  
   
  
"The bruises won't be enough." Eric agreed.   
  
   
  
   
  
"I saw her yesterday." Maria continued. "And if he did beat on her before she killed him, he didn't do too much damage. At least not visibly." The color drained from her face and she sat down suddenly. "The gun. That needs to be sent to DNA and swabbed, right away."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Why?" Eric asked, although from the look on Maria's face, he wasn't sure he wanted to know.  
  
   
  
   
  
"It needs to be tested for Aimee's epithelials." Maria explained quietly, her voice shaking a little. "And...cervical tissue."  
  
   
  
   
  
Calleigh was confused. Or rather, she knew what Maria was talking about. She just didn't want to accept it. "But those would only be on the gun if he..."  
  
   
  
   
  
"He did it to me." Maria said flatly. "There's a good chance he did it to her, too."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You mean he used the gun to..." Eric felt sick.   
  
   
  
   
  
Maria nodded. "Yeah. With the safety off. He got off on describing what I'd look like inside if he pulled the trigger."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Oh my God." Calleigh winced, burying her face in her hands.  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim put his arms around her as he stared at Maria, slack-jawed, with a look of horror and pity on his face.  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric closed his eyes, gripping the glass of water in his hand so hard that Maria grabbed it from him, afraid that he would break it and hurt himself. When he finally spoke, his voice was full of venom. "That sick son of a bitch is lucky I didn't get to him first."  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's in the past." Maria said firmly, placing her hand over his. "We can't change it now. What we can do now is protect Aimee."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Even with all of this new information, and even if you can get her to talk, it's going to be tough to prove self-defense." Calleigh pointed out. "She shot him three times, you know how that's going to look."  
  
   
  
   
  
"That's another area where her having been in the Army can help us out." Maria replied. "In combat, when you find yourself in a situation where it's kill or be killed, you want to put the other guy down and make sure he stays down. The best way to do that is two shots to the chest and one to the head. Aimee must have been so traumatized that she reverted to her training, like she was acting on instinct. She had to have known that if she didn't kill him, he was going to kill her."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You really think you can get her to talk?" Eric asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria shrugged. "I think it's our only shot."  
  
   
  
_____________________  
  
   
  
   
  
Hours later, Eric stood in the bedroom doorway, watching Maria recline on their bed, focused entirely on the papers and photographs spread out around her. She had spent most of the evening on the internet and on the phone with Estefan, compiling information about Aimee. She was so engrossed, she didn't notice his presence until he sat down beside her on the bed and ran one hand through her hair, leaning in to kiss the back of her neck.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey." She sighed, leaning into him.   
  
   
  
   
  
"You should get some sleep." Eric suggested, sliding his hands under the front of her t-shirt. "You gotta take care of yourself."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria smiled as she turned over to face him. "I was right, you are going to be a pain in my ass for the next eight months."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey, I'm just looking out for my family." Eric told her, pushing up her shirt. He leaned down and kissed her stomach softly. "Our family."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Our family." Maria whispered, her voice catching. "I could get used to hearing that."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Good." Eric moved back up and lay beside her. "So, what are you looking at?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Military records." Maria replied. "Not Aimee's. Mine." She picked up a photograph and handed it to him. It was a picture of her in camouflage fatigues, leaning against an Army Jeep.   
  
   
  
   
  
Eric studied the picture, noticing that Maria even managed to make fatigues look sexy. "Is it wrong that I'm sort of turned on by this?" He teased, sliding his hand back under her shirt and gently teasing the skin right under her breasts.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Nah." Maria replied, sighing as she arched into his touch. "I was eighteen when that was taken."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Do you still have the uniform?" Eric asked, giving her a suggestive grin.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria laughed and hit him playfully with her pillow. "Don't push your luck." In an instant, she found herself pinned to the bed as Eric placed reverent kisses along her jaw and down her neck. Feeling him pressed against her hip, she giggled and writhed against him. "And what's that?" She asked coyly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"That's me pushing my luck." Eric groaned against her throat. Suddenly, he put his hands firmly on her hips to still her movements, and pulled away from her.  
  
   
  
   
  
"What?" Maria whined. She sighed when she saw the troubled look in his eyes. "You're thinking about what I said earlier. About what Adam did to me."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm trying not to." Eric said, moving off of her. He lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. "It's not like I want to think about it. The things that he did to you...I can't get my mind around how anyone could treat you like that."  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's fucked up, I know." Maria said, running her hands through his hair soothingly. "But it's over. I've got a new life now, with you."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric nodded, leaning against her, needing to hear the steady, reassuring beat of her heart. "I just don't know if I'm ever going to be able to make up for all the shit you went through before."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Hey!" Maria said forcefully, pushing him onto his back and straddling him. She put her fingers against his lips to silence him. "No more of that talk, all right?" She guided his hand to her stomach and pressed it against her smooth skin. "You had already more than made up for my past, even before you gave me this baby."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I know." Eric said. "But-"   
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, just stop talking." Maria interrupted. She kissed him softly, then started moving down his body, hooking her fingers under the waistband of his boxer shorts and slowly, teasingly inching them down, smiling triumphantly when he began breathing faster. "Isn't there anything I can do to make you feel better?" She asked sweetly, lowering her head just a little.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Well..." Eric choked out. "I'm sure you could think of something..."  
  
   
  
   
  
As her hot, wet mouth closed over him, he lost his voice and forced himself to concentrate solely on Maria. It always amazed him how quickly she could make it feel like the entire world had shrunk to just the two of them.  
  
   
  
   
  
He was still awake several hours later, unable to take his eyes off of her. She had fallen asleep after they had made love for a second time, but he felt wired, there was no way he would be able to follow her any time soon.  
  
   
  
   
  
Even in the dark, he could see her perfectly. She was sprawled out on her back, with one arm behind her head and the other across her stomach. Her breathing was slow and even, and her chest rose with each inhale.  
  
   
  
   
  
Suddenly, she shifted and abruptly rolled onto her side, facing the wall. For a moment, he thought she had moved in her sleep. Then her heard her breathing in fast, shallow gasps.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria?" He whispered. "Baby, are you awake?"  
  
   
  
   
  
She stayed as still as she could, trying to keep her breathing under control, until she felt Eric's fingertips trail down her back.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'm okay." She said softly, turning over to face him. "Really, it's nothing."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric moved closer to her and gently caressed her cheek. "Are you sure?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria felt tears sting her eyes as she started to break down. It was just too much. "I had a dream about...it was about Adam. He was...I mean, I could feel him holding me down and...only I wasn't me. I was Aimee, somehow I just knew I was."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Shit." Eric groaned, pulling her close and kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry, baby."  
  
   
  
   
  
"It's my fault." Maria sobbed. "Everything that he did to her, everything she's been through, none of it ever would have happened if I hadn't let him get away."  
  
   
  
   
  
"No." Eric whispered. "Maria, that's not true."  
  
"I have to be able to help her." Maria continued. "I can't let her be punished for doing something I should have done myself three years ago."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You will help her." Eric insisted. "She'll talk to you, I'm sure she will." He rubbed her back soothingly. "It's going to be okay, Maria."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria didn't answer, but whimpered as she ran her hands over his chest and down his arms. Then she shifted her hips against his and began kissing his neck, working her way down slowly.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maria." Eric groaned, unable to control his body's response to her. "Are you sure that's a good idea right now?"  
  
   
  
   
  
Her lips covered his, effectively answering his question. "I can still feel him." She shuddered. "Eric, please...I need to feel good. I need to feel you."  
  
   
  
   
  
As she kissed him again, he turned her onto her back, covering her body with his and gently pinning her wrists to the bed. He let himself get lost in her, in the way she arched against him, in the soft moans and murmurs of pleasure that she uttered as he made love to her.  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria felt her eyes fill with tears again, but this time they were tears of joy and pleasure. The pain and fear of her nightmare quickly vanished. His movements within her were slow and gentle, exactly what she needed at that moment. Almost before she knew it, she trembled and called out his name as her release washed over her, and she felt him tighten his hold on her wrists as he came inside her, then collapsed, rolling onto his side and pulling her with him.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Wow." She gasped out after a minute. "I should wake up in the middle of the night more often."  
  
   
  
   
  
Eric gave her a tired smile as he kissed her lightly. "Think you can get back to sleep now?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"Maybe." Maria sighed. A troubled look crossed her face. "I just feel so horrible about Aimee, and everything that-"  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong." Eric interrupted. "Neither of you did. The one person who did, well, he's already gotten what he had coming. You and Aimee both have a lot of healing to do, but you'll get there."  
  
"You really think so?" Maria asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"I know it." Eric corrected. "I'll bet you two will even help each other heal."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Yeah." Maria said, taking a deep breath. "Maybe you're right. I hope so, anyway."  
  
   
  
______________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Okay, so do you want us to go with you to talk to Horatio?" Calleigh asked.  
  
   
  
   
  
"No, this is something I should do myself." Maria sighed.  
  
   
  
   
  
"Just don't let yourself get all stressed out." Eric told her, putting one arm around her waist and gently patting her stomach. "You gotta keep your blood pressure down."  
  
   
  
   
  
Maria rolled her eyes, but leaned against him as she smiled. "This is what I've got to look forward to for the next eight months."  
  
"Don't kid yourself, princess." Eric said. "The further along you get, the more paranoid I'm gonna be."  
  
   
  
   
  
"I'll kill you by the time I hit my second trimester." Maria said sweetly, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. "Anyway, he's in his office? I should probably get this part over with."  
  
   
  
   
  
As Maria left, Calleigh had to bite her tongue to keep herself from cracking up at the look on Eric's face. "She talks about killing you, and you still can't wipe off that grin."  
  
   
  
   
  
"Can't help it." Eric admitted. "I found out about our baby one day ago, and already...I don't even know how to describe how I feel. It's amazing."  
  
   
  
   
  
"You know, if Maria doesn't kill you, someone else might." Tim pointed out.  
  
   
  
   
  
"You're not going to get to me." Eric said. "It really is such an incredible feeling, just wait until you two have kids, you'll understand. Anyway, I've gotta go get something, I'll see you guys later."  
  
   
  
   
  
As soon as Eric was gone, Tim turned to Calleigh. "Uh, Cal-"  
  
   
  
   
  
"No way." Calleigh interrupted, taking a deep breath. "I want kids, sure, but trust me, I can wait."  
  
   
  
   
  
Tim let out a sigh of relief as he put his arm around her. "My thoughts exactly."  
  
   
  
_______________________  
  
   
  
   
  
"Horatio?" Maria stood in the open door to the office, suddenly feeling a little less sure of herself.   
  
   
  
   
  
"Come in, Maria." Horatio said, looking up from the newspaper article in front of him. "Your message said you wanted to talk to me about something?"  
  
   
  
   
  
"I need to talk to you about Aimee." Maria began, taking a deep breath. "It's kind of a long story..."  
  
   
  
_______________________  
  
TBC... 


	5. Chapter Five

Title: Cause and Effect (5/?)

Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...

Rating: Still R, but no smut, so all you conservatives and prudes (uh, maybe that was a little redundant) can chill, okay?

Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele

Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?

Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!

Note: Two chapters without any reviews on fanfic.net? Did everyone join the fic list or something? Remember, the more reviews I get, the faster I write!

* * *

"Why am I not surprised?" Eric said with a smirk when he saw Calleigh and Tim outside Horatio's office, trying to appear casual.

"Hey, it was her idea." Tim defended himself.

"Yeah, and I heard you disagreeing with me the whole way up here." Calleigh shot back, ruffling his hair affectionately.

"Hey, come on, not the hair." Tim pulled away from her and grabbed her wrists to subdue her. "What's that?" He asked, indicating the folder in Eric's hand.

"It's, uh, the pictures the hospital took when Maria was there three years ago." Eric said uncomfortably. "I didn't look at all of them, but the first few...you know, Hagen told me the other day not to look at them. Kinda wish I'd listened to him."

"Oh, shit, Eric..." Calleigh sighed.

"I don't want to talk about it." Eric insisted. He gestured to the door. "How's it going in there?"

"Well, she and Horatio are having a, uh, disagreement." Tim said.

"A 'disagreement' or a fight?" Eric asked.

Calleigh shrugged. "Well, it has the potential to escalate-"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Horatio!" Maria's scream interrupted.

"Yep, there it goes." Tim observed.

"Hey." Eric caught Maria's arm as she stormed out of the office. "Come on, we'll talk to him together."

"No way in hell I'm talking to that stubborn jackass about this again!" Maria snapped, trying to shake him off.

"Come on, you're not giving up." Eric told her. "And calm down, you're going to make me all paranoid again." He opened the office door. "H? Can we get another minute?"

"I'm sorry, Eric, I can't let her talk to Aimee." Horatio replied without looking up. "The conflict of interests is-" He was cut off as Eric slapped the folder down on the desk in front of him. "What's this?"

"Conflict of interests would only be a problem if there was any chance that Maria was wrong." Eric pointed out. "You know that Grant was abusing Aimee, and the proof is in that folder. Take a look at those pictures and tell me if you think that looks like the work of a man who's capable of changing his ways."

* * *

"What was that?" Maria asked as Eric closed the office door behind them. "I mean, the folder?"

"Promise you won't get mad?" Eric asked. "It was pictures from when you were in the hospital three years ago. And uh...evidence that they collected."

"Oh, geez." Maria sighed, leaning against the wall. "You didn't look at any of it, did you?"

"A couple of the pictures, yeah." Eric admitted. "I figured that whatever was in that folder couldn't be any worse than what I'd imagined."

Maria touched his cheek gently. "And?"

"I was wrong." Eric winced. "Let's just say I'm glad that son of a bitch is dead."

"Hey." Maria said softly, putting her arms loosely around him. "It's okay...no, no it's not okay. But it's over."

The door behind them opened and Horatio stepped out, looking uncharacteristically shaken. "You can talk to her alone for five minutes, Maria. I'll watch through the two-way."

Maria nodded. "Fair enough."

* * *

"Hey." Eric pulled Maria close as they approached the interview room. "You can do this, all right?" He kissed her gently. "I'll be right here."

"I know." Maria said, understanding exactly what he meant. As he went to join Horatio behind the two-way mirror, she took a few deep breaths, then opened the door. "Hi, Aimee."

"He's cute." Aimee said casually, tilting her chair back.

"Yeah, he's amazing." Maria sighed, sitting down across the table. "I never thought I'd find someone half as incredible as he is, after everything Adam did to me. I didn't think I'd be able to move on, and let anyone in. And I almost didn't, I almost fucked things up with Eric, because I couldn't accept what had happened to me, and deal with it. But he didn't give up on me. Kinda like how I'm not going to give up on you."

"What do you mean?" Aimee asked.

"I know you." Maria said firmly. "Shit, Aimee, I practically am you. At least, I'm what you could be in a few years. I fell into the same trap you did. All I'd ever wanted, all my life, was to be in the Army. When that ended, I thought my life was over."

"I was just pissed about it." Aimee scoffed. "I went through all that training, worked my ass off, and I was in Khandahar for two days before that goddamn mortar attack."

"Hey, you lasted a lot longer than I did." Maria told her. "But all that training and hard work, it stays with you, doesn't it? I mean, sometimes I'll tell someone I'll meet them at zero-sixteen-hundred without even realizing it, or my boss will tell me to do something, and without even thinking about it, I'll say 'roger that,' or even 'hoo-ah.' Especially when I'm stressed out, or scared."

Aimee leaned a little closer. "Like how?" "Well, for example, when I'm dealing with a suspect, if they're getting belligerent, I start feeling defensive, like I'd be ready to kick their ass or even shoot them if they try anything."

"Okay, I see where you're going with this." Aimee said.

"He was going to kill you, right?" Maria asked, grabbing the younger woman's arm to stop her from standing up. "Something he did or said tipped you off, he was finally gonna do it. After months of raping you and torturing you, and beating you within an inch of your life, he was going to go ahead and finish the job that night."

"He smacked me around." Aimee said softly. "Then he took the gun, and he..."

"I know." Maria said. "Your cervical tissue was all over the gun sight. And...he used to do the same thing to me."

"Then he put the gun aside, said he'd want to use it again later. And then he took his pants down, and got on top of me, and he..." Aimee's voice broke. "He had his hands around my throat the whole time, I thought he was going to kill me like that. When he was done, he said he wanted to take a shower, because I'd got 'skank' all over him. And then when he got back, he was going to use the gun again. The way he said it, I just knew...I knew he was going to kill me."

"So then what did you do?" Maria asked gently. She reached across the table and took Aimee's hands.

"I felt numb." Aimee sobbed. "But there was something in me, some part of me wanted to live. It's all kind of a blur, but I got the gun, and I went in the bathroom. He turned around and started to ask me what I was doing, and I just aimed and pulled the trigger, three times. Twice in the chest and once in the head, just like we learned in basic."

"It's a good thing you did that, Aimee." Maria said, taking a deep breath. "It is. And it's a good thing you told me all of this. Now you just have to tell the State's Attorney."

"I...I can't." Aimee gasped.

"Yes, you can. And I'll be right there with you." Maria promised her. "Aimee, he's prepared to offer you a deal. Probation, counseling, that's all you'll get. You can get your life back."

"What am I supposed to do with myself? Aimee asked.

Maria shrugged. "Anything. I didn't know what I would do after I got away from him, but I found my way. And I found Eric, too. I didn't think I'd ever fall in love again, but I did. Even after everything that Adam did to you, Aimee, I know that you'll find someone who will really love you, and really take care of you."

Aimee looked skeptical. "Does he know about what Adam did to you?"

"Yeah, he does." Maria said. "I wish he didn't, because I know it breaks his heart, but he's helped me deal with it and move on. We love each other, and we're together and...I'm...I'm pregnant with his baby. I've got a new life, and you will too, eventually. It won't be easy, but I know you can do it, Aimee."

* * *

Behind the two-way mirror, Horatio turned to Eric, for once at a total loss for words.

Eric just smiled proudly. "Oh, yeah. Surprise."

Horatio managed a startled chuckle as he placed his hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Well done, Eric."

* * *

"You did it." Calleigh congratulated Maria, giving her friend a hug.

"We did it." Maria corrected. "And Aimee. It took a lot for her to admit to all the shit he'd done to her. I would know."

"So where is she?" Tim asked. "Getting a ride to the Marriott. I personally arranged for her to be put up there until she's back on her feet." Maria explained.

"Actually, I'm still here." Aimee said as she came up behind them. Dressed in a pair of surgical scrubs that had been the only thing that fit her, she looked much more comfortable than she had in the hideous orange jumpsuit. "I couldn't leave without thanking all of you again." She stepped over and hugged Maria. "I guess I just thought that being in jail, or even getting the death penalty would have been better than being with him for another minute."

"Preaching to the choir, honey." Maria sighed, holding up her wrist so Aimee could see her scars. "Now, remember, the counselor we've set you up with is going to call you around three to set up your first appointment, so be in your hotel room then, okay?"

"Are you kidding?" Aimee actually cracked a smile. "I'm going to be too busy cleaning out all the chocolate in the mini bar to be anywhere else."

"Good." Maria said. "But just in case you do need anything, there's going to be an officer in the adjoining room, just let her know."

"I will." Aimee promised. "I better get going but...thank you. For everything. And good luck, you know, with the baby."

"Thanks." Maria grinned. "Call me, all right?" Aimee nodded.

"Yeah, you bet." She walked away then, looking over her shoulder and waving once more as she did.

"It's like she's a completely different person." Calleigh observed.

"Yeah, that's because she's finally free." Maria said. "She's still got a long way to go, a lot of healing to do. But she's free. Anyway, I have to get going."

"Where?" Tim asked.

"Eric and I managed to get two hours off. Got a doctor's appointment." Maria explained.

"Yeah, I just talked to H." Eric added, coming up behind her. He slid his arms around her waist and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, and he said to tell you congratulations."

"How'd he take the news?" Maria inquired.

"He was pretty much speechless." Eric replied.

Maria laughed. "Wow. Sorry I missed that."

* * *

"Everything looks healthy." Dr. Raeveska assured the couple, studying the image on the screen in front of her. "How have you been feeling, Maria?"

"Tired." Maria replied. "And sick. And...really confused. How did this happen?"

"It was never impossible." Dr. Raeveska explained. "The odds of you getting pregnant were extremely slim, but you got lucky."

"Every night." Eric added under his breath.

Maria heard him and laughed as she slapped his arm. "Ignore the pervert." She looked over at the monitor. "So, can we see it?"

Dr. Raeveska grinned as she turned the screen to face them. "Absolutely."

"Oh my God." Maria gasped, grabbing Eric's hand. "Eric, look."

"Yeah." Eric managed to say. "That's it? That dot right there is our baby?"

"Actually, that dot is just a dot." Dr. Raeveska said. "That dot next to it is your baby."

"Wow." Maria laughed, blinking back tears. Turning to Eric, she saw him smiling as he stared at the image in front of him. "I love you." She whispered.

"I love you, too." Eric said as he kissed her forehead. He looked at the screen again, then back at Maria. "Both of you."

* * *

TBC...


	6. Chapter Six

* * *

Title: Cause and Effect (6/7)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
Rating: Still R, but no smut, so all you conservatives and prudes (uh, maybe that was a little redundant) can chill, okay?  
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele

Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!Note: Damn, almost two months? I know, I suck. Life's been crazy lately, plus this story has been harder to write than I'd expected. But keep up with all the wonderful feedback, and I swear I will get the final part out much faster!Other note: A few people have asked me about the stories that removed. muttermuttergrumble They aren't currently posted anywhere, but if you're interested in reading them (which I'd recommend since they are part of a series) my email can be found in my profile. Do keep in mind, they do contain graphic sex scenes, so let me know if you'd prefer to read an "edited" version.Soundtrack: "Concrete Angel" by Martina McBride

* * *

"You're back late." Calleigh greeted Eric and Maria. "Everything all right?"

"Better than all right." Maria assured her. She held out a small piece of paper with an image on it.

"Oh my God." Calleigh gasped. "Is that what I think it is?"

Eric grinned proudly. "Our baby's first picture."

"Let me see that." Tim said. "Hey, Maria, it's got your...little wavy black lines."

"Wiseass." Maria laughed. "Anyway, we would have been back sooner, but since we were at the hospital anyway, we went to see Yelina, and John was there too. I figured I'd better tell them before they heard about it, or God forbid read about it somewhere." As much as she didn't want to think about it, she knew her condition wouldn't be a secret for long. A controversial United States senator's unmarried stepdaughter was knocked up. She was going to put a few gossip columnists' kids through college.

"How'd that go?" Tim asked.

"They were surprised, to say the absolute least." Eric spoke up. "They said they're happy for us, though."

"They'll be okay." Calleigh assured Maria, who looked uncertain. "And it's good that you told them."

"Yeah." Maria sighed. "And now, there's someone else I've got to talk to."

"Who?" Calleigh asked.

Maria shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

* * *

"Take as much time as you need, honey." Alexx said.

"Thanks, Alexx." Maria said, taking a deep breath. She walked over to the metal table and stared down at the body on it for a few seconds before she spoke. "You know, it's almost funny. I used to think I'd end up in a morgue because of you. I just never thought I'd be alive at the time." She laughed a little. "You always said I was dumber than a box of hair." She clenched her fists at her sides, so hard that her nails dug into her palms. "Well, if I'm so stupid, why are you the one who's lying there?"

"Then again, I can't be mad at you." She continued after taking a deep breath. "I almost feel sorry for you. You were so fucking pathetic. You couldn't keep a woman unless you broke her. But you didn't break me, and you won't break Aimee, either. I just wanted to say that to you. And I wanted to say that you didn't even come close to breaking me and Eric. I'm going to spend my life with him. I'm going to have a child with him. I'm damn grateful I never had any kids with you. You probably would have turned a boy into a soulless monster, just like you, and...I don't even want to think about what you might have done to a girl. But I don't have to think about it, or about you. I can walk out of here right now, knowing that you will never hurt me, or Aimee, or anyone else ever again."

* * *

Standing in the observation room above the morgue, Eric smiled proudly as he watched Maria walk out the door, totally calm and collected. Seconds later, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around, expecting to see her. "Hey there, sexy-" He stopped short when he saw Tim standing in the doorway. "I'm gonna be hearing about that one for a while, huh?"

Tim didn't even seem to notice. "We just got a call."

* * *

After leaving the morgue, Maria had felt like a huge weight had been taken off of her heart. But now, as she walked up the stairs, she felt that same weight returning. She ignored it until she reached the observation room and found Eric and Tim waiting for her close to the door.

"Hey guys." She said casually. "What's going on?"

Eric took a deep breath as he reached out and put his arms around her. "Come here..."

"What's wrong?" Maria cut him off, pulling away. "Eric, just tell me what's happening."

"It's Aimee." Eric began, moving closer to her.

"No." Maria gasped, stepping back. She put her hands up, as if she could block the bad news. "No..."

* * *

Somebody cries in the middle of the night  
The neighbors hear, but they turn out the lights  
A fragile soul caught in the hands of fate  
When morning comes it'll be too late

* * *

"Maria, slow down." Calleigh said, not entirely sure why she was even attempting to keep up with the other woman.

She caught up with Maria outside the hotel room, where a crowd of officers, paramedics, and onlookers had gathered.

"You were supposed to be checking on her!" Maria was saying to a female cop, her face white and her teeth clenched. "How the hell did this happen?"

Without a word, Eric stepped in and pulled Maria away. She slumped against him, closing her eyes, then took a deep breath as she pushed him away suddenly and went into the hotel room.

Her friends followed her quickly, and found her slumped against the wall next to the closet. Tears slowly slid down her cheeks and one hand covered her mouth as she took in the scene before her.

Eric put one arm around Maria's waist, feeling her collapse against him as they both stared silently at the open mini bar, the small empty liquor bottles that littered the floor, the bits of broken glass where one of the bottles had been smashed against the bedside table. Then they both focused on the girl on the bed, and on the half of the broken bottle still clenched in her hand, and the shards of glass still embedded in her slashed forearms.

"She knew what she was doing." One of the paramedics was saying to Horatio. "The way she cut herself, she bled out in about two minutes."

The color drained from Maria's face, and she pushed Eric, Tim, and Calleigh aside as she raced into the bathroom.

* * *

Through the wind and the rain  
She stands hard as a stone  
In a world that she can't rise above  
But her dreams give her wings  
And she flies to a place where she's loved  
Concrete angel

* * *

Maria was silent the whole way home. Eric made a few efforts to get her to talk to him, but quickly gave up. He kept one arm wrapped tightly around her as they walked up the stairs to the apartment.

She immediately went into the bedroom and shut the door behind her. He followed her a few minutes later, and found her already curled up on one side of the bed. Without a word, he lay down beside her and wrapped his arms protectively around her.

"What can I do?" He asked.

"Lie to me." Maria said hoarsely. "Tell me it's not my fault. Tell me I had no way of knowing what would happen."

"That's true and you know it." Eric insisted.

"Bullshit." Maria scoffed. "I did the same thing she did after I left him. The only difference is that she did it better than I did. Fuck, I can't do anything right. I couldn't even help Aimee." Rolling onto her back, she placed her hands on her stomach and addressed her unborn child. "You don't know what you're getting into. God, if you're really lucky, I'll have a miscarriage."

"Maria." Eric wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, letting her press her face into his neck as she began to sob convulsively. He just held her like that, stroking her hair soothingly and rubbing her back until she finally cried herself to sleep.

* * *

A statue stands in a shaded place  
An angel girl with an upturned face  
A name is written on a polished rock  
A broken heart that the world forgot

* * *

  
  
The last funeral Maria had attended had been for her brother, Anton. There had been well over a hundred people there. This one had seven, including the priest. In addition to the CSIs, there was a young woman who had introduced herself as Aimee's older sister Alicia. She was the only living member of Aimee's immediate family, and hadn't seen her in three years.

"I just wanted to tell you, don't blame yourself." She'd said to Maria earlier, fighting back tears. "I don't blame you."

Now, as Maria stood in front of the gravestone, a statue of an angel with her hands raised up, she focused on the two dates that were way too close together.

Eric came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Come on."

Maria just nodded and let him lead her away, to where the others were waiting for them.

* * *

  
  
TBC...


	7. Chapter Seven

Title: Cause and Effect (7/7)  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters (including Maria. She's made it quite clear that she owns her own damn self, thank you very much.) I'm just borrowing them and will return them when I've had my fun, somewhat dazed and disheveled, but otherwise in their original condition. Also, Maria and I have decided to keep Eric for a while, and we're sending Tim to Yana...  
  
Rating: Still R, but no smut, so all you conservatives and prudes (uh, maybe that was a little redundant) can chill, okay?  
  
Pairings: Eric/Maria, Tim/Calleigh, John/Yelina, Horatio/Adele  
  
Feedback: Hey, you! Yeah, I'm talking to you! You're reading this, right? Well then review it! Come on, pretty pleeeeeease? It only takes a minute or two, and it makes my day. Besides, we both know you've got the time. What else are you going to do, work?  
  
Dedication: Yana, for, as always, putting up with my crazy self. Jackie, Tina, Mel, Annie, Dorothy, Nonnie, and all my other loyal reviewers, what would I do without ya'll? I'll tell ya what; I'd stop writing! And that would suck. So, thanks!  
  
Note: A few people have asked me about the stories that removed. muttermuttergrumble They aren't currently posted anywhere, but if you're interested in reading them (which I'd recommend since they are part of a series) my email can be found in my profile. Do keep in mind, they do contain graphic sex scenes, so let me know if you'd prefer to read an "edited" version.  
  
Soundtrack: "Walk On" by U2

* * *

One month later...

* * *

And love is not the easy thing  
The only baggage  
That you can bring  
Not the easy thing  
The only baggage you can bring  
Is all that you can't leave behind

* * *

"So, how's she doing?" Tim asked as Eric finished a cell phone call to Maria, who had called in sick that morning.

"She'll be fine." Eric replied, clearly relieved. "Her morning sickness was really bad today, and she was so dizzy she could barely stand up, so Yana drove her to doctor's office."

"No wonder you've been acting so damn jumpy all day." Tim observed. "I'm surprised you didn't go with them."

"They practically forced me at gunpoint to come into work instead of going with them." Eric explained.

Tim smirked. "Sounds about right. You know, man, all joking aside, you keep on 'hovering' like that, she really is going to kill you."

"Yeah, I've been giving her more space lately. I just keep reminding myself it's just temporary, and she'll be less crazy after the baby's born."

"Really? You mean she's been pregnant the whole time I've known her?" Tim joked, straight-faced. Eric rolled his eyes, and he shrugged. "Hey, you walked into that one, it's not my fault."

"What did we just talk about last night?" Calleigh said teasingly, hearing the last part of Tim's sentence as she walked into the room. "Everything is your fault." Standing behind the couch, she leaned down to kiss her boyfriend on the cheek, then glanced at Eric. "Is Maria okay?"

"Yeah, the doctor said she just needs to get more rest." Eric replied.

"She seems like she's recovering well." Calleigh said, knowing that Eric would understand that she was referring to the investigation of Adam's death, and Aimee's suicide.

"She's getting there." Eric agreed. "She's over that whole 'I'm gonna be the worst mother in the world' kick, at least. Anyway, I've got some more paperwork to finish, then I better head home."

"Forget it." Calleigh told him. "We can take care of that, you should go home now."

"You sure?" Eric asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Tim said. "Go take care of your 'baby mama.'"

Eric chuckled. "Speed, please, be whiter. You can't pull that off, even ironically. Thanks, you guys, I'll see you later."

"Tell Maria we said hi." Calleigh called after him.

* * *

And if the darkness is to keep us apart  
And if the daylight feels like it's a long way off  
And if your glass heart should crack  
Before the second you turn back  
Oh no, be strong  
  
Walk on, walk on  
What you got, they can't steal it  
No they can't even feel it  
Walk on, walk on  
Stay safe tonight

* * *

Thinking that Maria might be trying to sleep, Eric opened the door and closed behind him as quietly as possible, and kicked off his shoes in the front hallway. Hearing Maria's voice in the bedroom, he assumed that she was on the phone and made his way down the hall, stopping outside the door.

"I take it all back." She was saying. Peering into the room, he saw her lying on the bed, propped up against some pillows, gently rubbing her stomach as she spoke. "You don't know how lucky you are. Because you are going to have the best daddy in the world. And as for me...well, you and me are gonna figure things out together. But we're going to be fine, all three of us. I promise." Glancing up, she saw Eric and smiled. "Hey, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough." He replied, grinning as he walked over to the bed and sat down beside her. "So, 'best daddy in the world,' huh? You really think so?"

"I know it." Maria said, sitting up to kiss him. "Sorry I was so crazy this morning. I was just...I was scared."

"It's okay." Eric assured her. He kissed her forehead as she curled up against him. "I was worried, too."

"That's why I felt sorry, I should have let you come with us." Maria insisted.

"Nah, it's fine." Eric said. "You should have heard Speed. 'Eric, so help me, if you don't stop fidgeting and messing with your damn phone...' And then Calleigh would start in on him for not being more 'sensitive.'" He hesitated for a second. "And, uh, she asked how you were holding up."

"Did you tell her I'm okay?" Maria asked. "I mean, I get it now. I know it wasn't my fault, what happened to Aimee. The only person who was to blame for that already got what he had coming. I just might need you to remind me of that once in a while."

"Deal." Eric promised. He slipped his hand under her thin cotton nightshirt and rubbed her stomach gently. "So, you're sure you two are okay?"

Smirking, Maria pushed him back onto the bed and straddled him. "Why don't I show you just how okay I am?"

Eric laughed as he slid his hands up her back. "I love the way you think."

Maria leaned down to kiss him lightly. "I love you too."

* * *

Home, hard to know what it is  
If you never had one  
Home, I can't say where it is  
But I know I'm going  
Home, that's where the heart is

And I know it aches  
And your heart it breaks  
You can only take so much  
Walk on

* * *

Is it me, or is it a little sappy in here? Better bring on some angst, quick!  
  
Next time:

* * *

"Sometimes I can't believe I'm bringing a child into a world where there are people like that."

* * *

"I could have lost both of them because of that son of a bitch, and now I want to see him get what's coming to him."

* * *

"We have shots fired, we've got an officer down, we need rescue here immediately! I repeat, officer down!"

* * *

"Jesus Christ, how the hell did it come to this?"

* * *

Stay tuned...


End file.
